


Thorns And Fire

by Naemi



Category: NCIS
Genre: Friendship, Lovesickness, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-07
Updated: 2014-12-07
Packaged: 2018-02-28 12:07:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2731877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naemi/pseuds/Naemi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They toast to thorns and fire and broken hearts, and, “the women we love in vain. Cheers.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thorns And Fire

**Author's Note:**

> [vaguely referencing events up to 7.01]

 

As distinct as they are, there's still quite a lot of common ground between Tim and Tony, even if may not be obvious. They know, and that's enough.

Neither man remembers how exactly it started, but in their third year, what they call The Lonely Hearts Club is born out of too many drinks. For Tim, it's about Abby, and always will be. For Tony, it's about Kate, at first, and Ziva later. Either way, that first night, they toast to thorns and fire and broken hearts, and, “the women we love in vain. Cheers,” because it's convenient to drown the pain rather than to face it.

Tim still has occasional sex with Abby, and Tony never fails to pat his shoulder and tell him, “Well done. One day this will kill you, though.” He means it, although he isn't much better off; Ziva is so far out of his reach that she might as well be in Kate's place. It's sad and tiring, and both of them dread the moment the other one will crash.

In their fourth year, The Lonely Hearts Club spawns Wednesday After-Work Movie Night: comfortable couching with a classic of Tony's choice and drinks of Tim's. However much pathetic it may be, it's all they have for comfort, and it becomes especially important to Tim when Abby eventually ends it: “For real, forever, McGee. I'm sorry.” Tony knows that he's the only anchor Tim has right now, but that's okay. He doesn't need to see Jeanne on Wednesdays.

Wednesday After-Work Movie Night becomes an unchanging tradition, and in their fifth year, when Jeanne leaves Tony's life, Tim can repay him for his unbroken friendship and support. From that point on, although they still bemoan “the women they love in vain,” The Lonely Hearts Club is not about them anymore; it's about camaraderie and loyalty.

But everything Ziva goes downhill eventually, and when Tony returns without her, he appears to be hopeless. “The women we love in vain (because they don't love us back, Probie)” turns into “that woman I used to know. And the other one.” Tim doesn't object, although a change of the subject line won't extinguish the pain.

One particularly boozy Wednesday After-Work Movie Night, they find themselves all lips and tongues and roaming hands by the end of _Citizen Kane_. Tim doesn't realize until _Rosebud_ , and he backs away, but Tony reacts more quickly than he should be allowed after half a bottle of scotch. He places a finger on Tim's lips to hush him.

“It's okay. Let's just pretend for a little while,” he slurs; Tim nods and brushes aside all thoughts.

After that, they end up _together_ more often than they should. It's not about sex—“A little fumbling doesn't count, McGuilty.”—but the fierce longing for warmth, and it's safer to find it within each other than to look for it in strangers.

In-between realizing that Ziva has gone missing and having her back safe and sound, Wednesday After-Work Movie Night is first retitled Wednesday After-Work Make-Out, and soon afterwards Wednesday After-Work Make-Out With Porn. Tim doesn't see much sense in it, but Tony explains that it feels less gay that way, which, despite being nonsense, is weirdly acceptable.

Far into their seventh year, when everything work-related is long back to normal, their routine remains the same. Tony finds himself a one-night-stand every now and again, and Tim mostly “dates” online.

And every Wednesday, they block out the misery of broken hearts and unfulfilled dreams by drowning in each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the wonderful **Moit** , who also made sure that all characters were returned unharmed.
> 
> [Feedback is love.]


End file.
